Firefighters from more than a dozen communities battled a house fire Tuesday in Newbury Township. The extent of the damage, however, might make it difficult to determine the exact cause of the blaze.
Fire Chief Doug Zimperman said a neighbor or a passer-by saw smoke coming from the home at 11466 Bell St. and called it in around 3:20 p.m. By the time firefighters responded, Martin Snode’s house was fully involved.
“There were already flames coming out the windows of both floors on the west side,” Zimperman said.
There was little smoke becasue the fire was so hot, he added, which is why it wasn’t seen sooner.
Crews stayed on site until around 10 p.m. in subzero temperatures to make sure the fire was completely out, the chief said.
No one was at home when the fire erupted, but the family dog escaped the inferno, Zimperman said.
Although crews set up water tanks to keep the pumpers supplied, there was surprisingly little difficulty delivering water to the fire due to the extreme temperatures, he said.
“Ice was not a major factor,” Zimperman said. “But it was a lot harder on everybody. We kept putting (salt) down but it was freezing as fast as we put it down.”
The 2,188-square-foot house sits on five acres and is valued at about $260,000, according to the Geauga County Auditor’s Office.
Zimperman said the house appears to be a total loss, despite firefighters’ efforts.
“It does happen in a rural setting,” he said, especially if a building isn’t equipped with fire alarms to alert emergency services.